After seven solid days of blogging about my simple life adventure, I felt like I needed a day in cruise mode (on Day 8). Monday was filled with information that gave me a brand new focus. I haven’t made as much headway as I thought I would. After Sunday, I pictured myself flying around the house this week tossing things by the arm loads into boxes. But one thing I have realized is that I definitely have a more critical eye towards the stuff around my home. Last night, I did a quick walk-thru of each room and could fairly quickly see the things that I truly love and know will stay. As well, I also saw much that I know I can part with.

The big clean will begin on Saturday, because this week HB is preparing to leave for a missions trip in Mexico. And on that note, I feel this is very timely; as I’ll have time to really dig my heels in and declutter while he’s away – and I have a feeling he will come back with the realization of just how much we have. You see, he is heading down there to work with a team from our church (which includes three of our sons and one grandson) to build a small and modest home for a family in need. Talk about a reality check. So again…I believe this will be very timely for the both of us.

So today, I thought this might be a good place to stop, breath, and re-cap what I’ve put together so far. If I don’t write things down, my brain can begin to feel like a pinball machine with ideas and information bouncing everywhere. Since writing each day, a lot has taken place mentally and spiritually so I thought I’d take time to go back and read my own daily journaling; adding additional notes to help me keep my focus.

Something Old and Something New… – I came up with the idea to blog each day. Up until this point, I was writing articles as they came to mind, but I wanted to improve my writing skills and found that other bloggers recommended this. I love to write in my journal and felt this was a way to bring readers along with me. This has been a great exercise to hone in on my personal skills. It’s not always easy to come up with daily notes, but I keep telling myself, “Just write what’s on your heart.” I love the freedom in that.

Simple Life – The Bullet Points– As a list maker, I decided I should come up with a list of things to focus in on. I basically thought up three areas that I felt were in need of decluttering. However, as I’ve made it through a solid week, I can see that I need to add some sub-bullets with a bit of detail.

Simple Life – Matters of the Heart – This was a very eye-opening day for me as I realized that clutter goes way beneath the surface. It was a day of reflection and setting my spiritual mind back on a healthy course.

Simple Life – KP Duty – I spent the weekend, before beginning my April blogging, detailing the kitchen, which is what set me in forward motion on this personal challenge. I got rid of a lot of the clutter in my very small (galley) kitchen by pairing down what was in the cupboards. I spent this particular evening taking inventory of the freezer, fridge and pantry so I could make up a good menu and grocery list. It was a tedious job, but I’m glad I did it because I was able to put together a great menu and didn’t need nearly as much as I thought from the grocery store.

Simple Life – Clearing the Cobwebs – Days like these are rare for me. I’m an über optimist and pretty even keeled, but man…did I need an attitude adjustment. It felt good to write about what was going on inside of me. I’m often amazed at how much better and focused I feel once it’s out of my brain and somewhere that I can see it and edit, re-write, or simply delete it.

Simple Life – Paperless Procrastination – Ugh…the dreaded task of paperwork. I did get some of it organized, but didn’t make a dent the way I had hoped. Instead the garden called out to me (a new item for my list because I’m making some changes to that area as well…but I’ll save that for another blog day). I’ve decided that I’m just going to plug away at the paperwork; grab a stack and organize it while I watch TV or something…you know, multi-task.

Simple Life – Organized Hoarder – I think this was, by far, the biggest eye-opener of all; when it all really came together for me. I’m so glad we took the time to go listen to those guys about creating a much simpler life. So much of what they said struck a chord in me. I felt clear-headed about the “stuff” in my life. And not just material items…but the things that take up my hard-earned money and my time. Even though I haven’t taken any huge steps just yet, I know it’s coming soon (this weekend) and I’m actually feeling excited about it.

Wow…it’s a good feeling to go through all of this and grab a few highlights. As I read through these lists, more details come to mind – and more ideas of areas to declutter in my quest for a simpler life. Stay tuned…

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